americans is an inconvenient truth for a president that claims to be destroying al-qaeda. but it's not too much to ask why the administration has taken so long to state what appeared obvious on what really happened on september 11th, 2012. we're a back with our panel. so given all that we've learned in the last couple of weeks. how big a security failure was that attack on the consulate? >> it was far bigger than this administration is willing to admit. we knew the security situation in benghazi was getting out of control. there were attack on the british consulate which was closed and there with a attacks on convoy and attacks on the u.s. consulate, too. there were reports out of

benghazi. u.s. issued a statement in august warning americans not to travel there, telling them there is probably bombings and a assassinations. >> paul: we also know that they called for the revenge against the united states for a killing by a terrorist by a drone attack. they had ample warning. did they fall down on the job? >> it seems like there were a number of cascade go failures. it's fair to say it was probably a serious mistake for the ambassador stevens to go to benghazi. it was a serious mistake for them to have a marine detachment at our facility in benghazi. i'll say this for stevens. he was a brave guy. he was involved in a transition and wanted to be involved in the transition for building a new libya. you have to take some kind of

risks like that. >> there is no question about that. but people knew that libya was a terrorist center. almost all of our facilities is secured by marine guards. it would be strange marine guards guarding bahamas but not in tripoli. >> so why did the administration go to the story. it was all about the video reaction in the muslim world -- let's face it an obscure youtube video that nobody knew about until after the riot started? >> i think the key question. i don't know why they went to that narrative. what is interesting the secretary of state hillary clinton stepped off that narrative herself. when she was at the united nations, also said that they knew that al-qaeda had been active in the arabian peninsula. it seems to me that the secretary of state is distancing

herself from the white house was saying because if it comes out later in an investigation that the white house or ambassador rice was withholding information about what happened when they knew it there is going to be a problem for this administration. >> paul: just to be clear here. ambassador rice reports to hillary clinton. she is technically part of the state department operations. she made the most clear statements about the association with the video and refused to acknowledge whether or not it was a terrorist attack? >> we don't know who was calling the shots. we do know what they were saying breaks into two separate parts. what they've been saying now suggests they did know early on that al-qaeda was involved in that. i suspect that is probably one of the reasons ambassador stevens was getting active there. it was well known to people in libya that islamic extremists in al-qaeda were getting more

active. >> paul: we know from his dairy, his anxieties that were represented in that diary what was going on. the press spokesman, hillary clinton's right hand media man attacks it. >> it's disgusting that he got involved in exchange with a reporter, using words that we can't reveal here. it reveals the reluctance on the part of the administration. this has been a stunning attack on u.s. interests on foreign soil. >> there is something about the larger narrative of the obama administration and attitude. "a" that the president has gone after al-qaeda in an unprecedented way. "b", a lighter cultural footprint helicopters secure

american interests. that is precisely why that our facilities were not well defended. both of those narratives are being under cut by what happened in libya. al-qaeda remains a serious threat and just because president obama is in the white house meanings that we are loved by millions of arabs around the world. >> paul: still ahead as foreign policy emerges as central theme, president obama is pushing a new narrative that mitt romney will likely get us into a war. does your phone give you all day battery life ? droid does. and does it launch apps by voice while learning your voice ? launch cab4me. droid does. keep left at the fork. does it do turn-by-turn navigation ? droid does. with verizon, america's largest 4g lte network, and motorola,

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>>. he said it was a mistake to end the war in iraq and bring all of our warriors home. he said it was a mistake that set a mandate for our warriors in afghanistan and bring them home. he i will plied by his speech he is ready to go to war in syria and iran. >> paul: that was vice president joe biden at a campaign stop in pennsylvania suggesting that mitt romney is ready to go to war in iran and syria. it's the theme they are pushing with the president himself getting in on the act. in an interview on 60 minutes. mr. robe responding to criticism said, quote, if governor romney is suggesting we should start another war, he should say so.

so rumors of war, dan. what the political strategy here or do you think there is one? >> obviously we are in a moment when everything barack obama says is related to his reelection. so it is with this. a key element of the obama reelection strategy has to do with perceived voter fatigue over wars, iraq and afghanistan. >> paul: tide of war are receding? >> exactly. first thing he said i ended the war in iraq. how he is binding down afghanistan. from that premise he is suggesting to people that mitt romney just might start up again because he is advised by the same people that got us into the war in iraq. >> paul: and a lot of people don't like the long years of war. how fair is the charge?

>> i think people are ready to be responsive to that message. the problem is chaos adores vacuums and we are creating a vacuum in the middle east and iran. it is being created by president obama. mitt romney makes a good case. what we might end up in a war it's the policies of president obama in southeast asia and pakistani and afghanistan and in the middle east. >> patti ann:. >> paul: when you say creating a vacuum. since we left iraq and it is winding down but we didn't leave any troops there. we are staying out of syria. then, of course, the biggest problem, brett, is iran? >> you have to ask yourself is this a president that says we're going to have any more wars in middle east, how about con

sunltd go israel, netanyahu saying. >> paul: 90% on their way to a nuclear bomb? >> they are increasing their capacity. a few months by the international atomic energy. i've been told by nuclear scientists that once you are 20% you are actually 87% way toward the goal. >> paul: key point of war, gets down to a fundamental difference of foreign policy, whether or not president obama's policy towards iran, four years of trying to coax them into a discussion quid pro quo, if you stop pursuing a nuclear weapon hasn't worked. has that taken us closer to war? >> because it persuaded iranians they will cross the nuclear threshold while jerusalem and washington are squabbling with one another.

a floats fer that some people, leon strot sky you may not be interested in war but war is interested in you. we may not be interested in going to war with iranians but a iranians may be interested in going to war with us. >> paul: if f mitt romney the last thing he want to do if he gets elected he wants to get into a war. he has to be focused on domestic agenda? >> that is what he is running on. iran is obviously down the road and abdication of anything in syria. that war is out of control. it's spilling into lebanon and iraq which we have completely abandoned. if mitt romney does get through this, he will be facing a dangerous world. >> paul: what should romney say

to that he is a warmonger? >> i would regard it as infantile remark, suggesting that your opponent is going to start a war when there is no evidence of that. let me give you one example. president of france said we cannot just stand by while terrorists take over mali, northern africa which has been under salt by islamist extremists. in his interview, barack obama says middle east and northern africa is moving toward an area of peace and prosperity. he has stuck his head in the sand. >> we turn to control of the senate and can scott brown hold on to ted kennedy's old seat or will elizabeth warren return it to the democratic hold?

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>>. >> paul: turning to the bye for control of the united states senate. this week we look at the race in massachusetts. there republican senator 2009 brown is trying to hold on the seat by ted kennedy. it one democrats would like to take back. elizabeth warren, the brains behind obama's consumer protection bureau. we're back with our panel. so mary, very rare for a republican to hold the brown in a special election. what is his strategy to hold on to the seat?

>> he is positioning himself as an independent, as a person who is going to represent every person in massachusetts. he is calling out elizabeth warren on her hypocrisy which you sue when she called herself a native american. she has represented big companies trying to deny payments to retirees. bankrupt steel company and travelers insurance. >> paul: so underlying her authenticity. >> not just that but she understands the plight of the common person. >> paul: we have back-to-back ads by scott brown followed by elizabeth warren. >> elizabeth warren is trying to put her heritage behind her. she identified herself as native americans but they have zero evidence of. she is face tough questions about she is minority for

professional gain. >> it keeps changing. >> is there anything that is going to come out about you that we don't already know? >> i don't think so, but who knows. >> as i kid i never ask my mom for documentation when she said about our native american heritage, but she is part of cherokee and delaware. let me clear, i never got any benefit because of my heritage. people who hired they didn't even know about it. scott brown can continue attacking my family, but i'm going to keep fighting for yours. >> paul: who got the best of that exchange? >> scott brown did. she came out saying that her family is under attack. brown said look at her.

he is not close to being an native american, how can you tell anybody's heritage by their face. the first thing she said when it came up, i have high cheekbones. she has high cheekbones. well, you can look at your heritage -- this has a person who has transformed themselves as a class warrior who is talking about the system is rigged against you. wall street is walking around shamelessly and shrinking violet until scott brown got herat the debate with her character. >> paul: scott brown, who does he need to appeal to? who is he trying to get the

votes from? 51% of independentsers voters are independent? >> he has to win the independents. if the president has a big surge close to election day it will be tough in a state that predominantly independent and where democrats have an edge. they revealed in the debate where scott brown essentially explained what this populist agenda would mean to the average voter she challenged him on jobs bill that scott brown didn't sign on to. brown said. >> it would raise your taxes $460 billion, it was a bipartisan rejection. she responded well, it would be just a fractional tax people making more than a million dollars a year. they had a revealing exchange about the cost to the average voter. >> let's get into political detail. scott brown won in 2010.

he did that by winning central part of the state and northeastern part of the state, boston is totally democratic except for south bob where the white unionized workers live. those people supported scott brown. the mayor of boston has been endorsed elizabeth warren and says he will send his political machine into south boston. and the head of the afl/cio has been pleading for them not to vote against elizabeth warren. that is where the battleground. >> paul: we have to take one more break. when we come back hits and misses of the week. we're not in london, are we? no. why? apparently my debit card is. what? i know. don't worry, we have cancelled your old card. great. thank you. in addition to us monitoring your accounts for unusual activity, you could also set up free account alerts. okay.

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>>. >> paul: for hits and misses of the week. >> here a hit to the n.f.l. and referees for striking a reasonable labor deal this week.

n.f.l. got a chance to move to 401-k plan and got more flex wnilt hiring. referees got a pay increase. >> paul: they may give the packers compensatory rules. >> i wanted a miss to the todd aikens who missed the deadline to drop out race. he tarnished not only himself but the entire republican party with his bizarre comments on what he called legitimate rape. but the crew is standing by their man. i think they may come to regret that decision but the democrats sure won't. >> this is hit for chick fill lay. an aldeman he intimidated to

stop their donations to groups that politicians don't like. the company says, no. chicago thugs are telling them who to support and good for chick-fil-a. >> this is hit for andy williams. the man that sang moon river has a lot of americans thinking back to good american entertainment he was one of those rare stars past or present whose private life was the same as his public personna. he was out there putting in the hours and delighting audiences all the way until the end. >> paul: that is because he was born in iowa, kim. he learned how will to live right in the midwest. do aiken has a chance to pull this out? >> he is many points behind. he won't have much of a funding

pool so i think it's tough time. >> paul: be sure to follow us on twitter. that shut for this week's edition. thanks to my panel and all of you watching. i'm paul gigot. we hope to see you right here next week. on fox news watch. president talks foreign policy on "60 minutes". >> there will be bump orders the road. >> jon: media missed that and the gals on the view. >> i'm supposed to be eye candy. >> did the press pass on this to. >> he takes center stage at the u.n. >> i expect people will call me awful things every day. >> jon: how did the media treat his message? how did the news media react to